Structural units for steel frame buildings and the like



R. E. M MILLAN Dec. 5, 1933.

STRUCTURAL UNITS FOR STEEL FRAME BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE FiledMay 12,1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l M VE/WvIP 6%! W 2% a an, a

Dec. 5, 1933.

R. E. MCMILLAN 1,938,491

STRUCTURAL UNITS FOR STEEL FRAME BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE Filed May 12,1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-6.

MIME/V70? WWW Patented Dec. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES STRUCTURAL ,UNITSF013,, s'r FRAME BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE Robert Edward McMillan, Arema,Australia Application May 12, 1933, Serial No. 670,719%,

g and in Australia May 11, 1932 4 Claims.- (Cl. 72-131) This inventionrelates to improvements in structural units for use in steel framebuildings or composite steel frame and bearing wall buildings and thelike. It has been devised particub larly for use in girders betweenstructural steel stanchions of riveted or welded types.

The present invention was devised in order to obtain the advantagesinherent in the use of reinforced concrete for beams and girders, andstill retain the advantages inherent in the construction methodspeculiar to the use of steel beams with steel stanchions built into aframework.

The advantages in the use of reinforced concrete for beams are mainly:that continuity may easily be obtained; that part of the floor slab isutilized to form a T beam; and that, whereas in steel frame constructionthe fireproof casing of the steel beam is not able to be regarded asincreasing the strength of the beam-in reinforced ill concreteconstruction the whole section is regarded as contributing to the beamstrength.

main advantages in the use of steel beam and stanchion construction arethat the stanis kept to a conveniently small size and that Ed the steelframework can be erected as a whole before any concreting is done on thejob, thus giving the advantage of speed in construction.-

The present invention combines these advantimes in that the frameworkcan be built up independently of the concreting work, whilst, in thefinished job, the beams are actually of reinforced concrete constructionand are designed as such in the first place, and the stanchions, beingof steel, are small in overall size. A more specific object of theinvention is to previde a beam comprising a plurality of longitiidinaltop members and a plurality of longitudinal bottern members all heldtogether at a predetermined distance apart by means of stirrups wiredand/or Welded to both the top and bottom members, the longitudinal topmembers being straight throughout their length and the bottom membersbeing either straight throughout their length, or some of the bottommembers being straight throughout their length and others bent up at oneor both ends. 7

One main object of this invention is to provide meanswhereby thestresses in the top and bottom members may be transferred to thestanchions into which they frame or between and to which they aresecured.

An additional object of the invention is to protilde a skeleton beamwhich will be simple and inexpensive to build up, lightin weight, easyto install or position, which will constitute adequate reinforcementwhen embedded in concrete, and which will in every respect be a generalimprove ment in the art.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages, theinvention preferabh consists in the details of constructionand thearrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view illustrating one embodiment ofthe invention,

. Figure 1a is a central vertical-cross section therethrough, s

Figure 2 is a sectional or broken away perspective view illustrating amodification,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one end of thefirst type of beam and with a slight variation in the vertical loadsustaining means,

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view show- 7 ing the use ofadditional reinforcing means through the floor slab,

Figure 5 is a view looking down on what is shown in Figure 4, the viewbeing taken on the line yy thereof,

Figure 6 is a side elevation of one end portion of a beam of slightlymodified form,

Figure 7 is a central cross sectional view taken verticallythe'rethrough, v

Figure 8 is an elevation of one convenient type of wedge or filler,

Figure 9 is an end elevation thereof,

Figure 10 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating a different meansfor supporting the bottom members of the beam, and

Figure 11 is a similar view showing still another variation.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter S designates theuprights, columns or stanchions between which is mounted any one 9 ofthe skeleton beams shown in the various figures of the drawings andconstituting my invention. In each instance the beam comprises rows ofupper and lower longitudinally extending members a and b, respectively,bound together at spaced intervals by stirrups d which are notnecessarily vertical though so shown, but which are appropriatelysecured to the members-40f instance wirea nd/o'r Welded thereto as at p.The ends of the members are supported by bracket means secured to thestanchiohs as will be explained.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 1 1 also make use oradditional mngrmat nal members 0 which are of angular shape, theirintermediate portions lying in the same plane with the lower members I)and their ends lying in the same plane with the ends of the uppermembers a. The stirrups d are secured to the members 0 in the samemanner as to a. and b.

For supporting the ends of the upper members a and the angular members 0I provide brackets e of suitable cross-section secured to theconfronting faces of the stanchions such as by welding or for instanceas by bolts 7' passing through the side of the stanchions and throughholes f in the brackets. The ends of the members a are seated upon thebrackets e and welded thereto as shown at w.

For supporting the ends of the lower members b I make use of brackets iriveted or welded to the stanchions, these brackets receiving angle bars9 to which the ends of the members b are welded. A suitable number ofbolts 0 should be provided, passing through holes 0, for securing theangle bars to the brackets. For transferring the compression load on thebottom members to the stanchions, I may provide wedges or fillers hdisposed between the angle bars 9 and the stanchions as clearly shown.

The variation disclosed in Figure 2 differs from the above describedform in the single particular that the angular members 0 are omitted andcompensated for by correspondingly increasing the number of bottommembers I) and also by providing relatively short longitudinal members nat the top of the unit, these members being of course secured upon therespective brackets e and within the stirrups. These members 12. may bebent down into the bottom of the unit and run along for some distanceparallel with the bottom members.

Figure 3 shows a structure identical with that in Figure 1 with theexception of the provision of an additional angle bracket T on eachstanchion, this being a simple expedient I may resort to in cases whereit is necessary to have additional means for taking the vertical load ofthe composite beam, and it is conceivable that the lower brackets imight be insufficient because of the low value of concrete in bearing.

Figures 4 and 5 disclose an arrangement whereby extra tensile steel maybe introduced by placing members It in the floor slab, at the sides ofthe stanchion, parallel to the longitudinal members of the unit. By thismeans, complete continuity can be obtained, where the steel fastened tothe stanchion through c is insuflicient for the purpose. Where stanchionS is an exterior stanchion, the members is can be bent into a U shapeabout the stanchion, with the legs of the U forming the extra top steelrequired. 111. is the concrete fioor slab. l are the cross beams framinginto S.

Figure 6 gives a side elevation of a unit, in which the bent members arein more than one plane and the bottom longitudinal members in more thanone row. In this case, a separator q is used. This is welded to bothrows of members.

In Figures 8 and 9 I have illustrated one type of wedge h, in which theends are cut away, as shown, to leave small projections, which arebolted around the sides of the stanchion to hold the wedge from thepossibility of becoming loose.

Figure 10 illustrates an alternative method of transferring thecompression stresses in the bottom longitudinal members to the stanchionby welding the said bottom members to a section such as the flat 91, thestresses being transferred to the stanchion by a bead of welding wl.

Figure 11 discloses a further alternative method of transferring thecompression stresses from the bottom longitudinal members to thestanchions in which the said bottom members are welded to a member suchas the angle 92, said member being welded tothe bracket 2'.

The method of erection, with this type of structural unit, is the sameas for an ordinary steel frame building. The fabricated beam is madewith definite clearances as in steel construction. The beam is movedinto position sideways on to the beam bracket, any rivets on thestanchion likely to interfere being countersunk. The bolts are thenpassed through the holes provided in the stanchions and screwed up. Thewedges or fillers are then driven into place behind the angle barconnected to the bottom longitudtnal members, the beam being lifted upslightly in the centre by a hoist to facilitate the operation, ifnecessary. The wedges or fillers are then anchored, and the angle barsbolted to the stanchion brackets. v

If the tensile strength, provided in the rivets or bolts connecting thebrackets e to which the top members are welded, is insufiicient, suchbracket can be welded to the stanchion at any later time.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will beapparent that I have thus provided a very simple and easily assembledand mounted skeleton beam which will be light in weight and which willyet possess adequate strength as a reinforcement for the necessaryconcrete. Particular attention might be invited to the provision of thewedge or filler members h which may be introduced between the angle bars9 and the faces of the stanchions for the purpose of bringing about athrust against the stanchions upon the application of load to the beam.The thickness of such fillers will of course depend upon circumstancesand the very fact of their employment makes it impossible to make properprovision for varying conditions.

While I have shown and described various preferred forms of theinvention it should be understood that the right is reserved to makewhatever changes constitute no departure from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim:-

1. In a building structure, upright stanchions,

upper and lower brackets secured upon the confronting sides thereof, anda skeleton beam unit disposed between the stanchions and including aplurality of longitudinal upper members, a plurality of longitudinallower members, means embracing all of said members as a whole andlocated at intervals along the length thereof, the ends of the uppermembers being secured upon the upper brackets, transverse elementssecured to the ends of the lower members and mounted upon the lowerbrackets, and means reacting against said transverse elements and theadjacent stanchions for transferring compression loads to the latter.

2. In a building structure, upright stanchions, upper and lower bracketssecured upon the confronting sides thereof, and a skeleton beam unitdisposed between the stanchions and including a plurality oflongitudinal upper members, a plurality .of longitudinal lower members,means em bracing all of said members as a whole and located at intervalsalong the length thereof, the

ends of the upper members being secured upon the upper brackets,transverse elements secured to the ends of the lower members and mountedupon the lower brackets, and filler members interposed between saidtransverse elements and the adjacent stanchions for transferring to thelatter compression loads upon the beam.

3. In a building structure, upright stanchions, upper and lower bracketssecured upon the confronting sides thereof, and a skeleton beam unitdisposed between the stanchions and including a plurality oflongitudinal upper members, a plurality of longitudinal lower members,means embracing all of said members as a whole and located at intervalsalong the length thereof, the ends of the upper members being securedupon the upper brackets, transverse elements secured to the ends of thelower members and mounted upon the lower brackets, means reactingagainst said transverse elements and the adjacent stanchions fortransferring compression loads to the latter, and additionallongitudinal members located at the sides of the beam and embracing thestanchions.

4. In a building structure, upright stanchions,

upper and lower brackets secured upon the confronting sides thereof, anda skeleton beam unit disposed between the stanchions and including aplurality of longitudinal upper members, a plurality of longitudinallower members, means embracing all of said members as a whole andlocated at intervals along the length thereof, the ends of the uppermembers being secured upon the upper brackets, transverse elementssecured to the ends of the lower members and mounted upon the lowerbrackets, means reacting against said transverse elements and theadjacent stanchions for transferring compression loads to the latter,and additional longitudinal members located at the sides of the beam andembracing the stanchions, said additional longitudinal members beingconnected by bight portions extending about the exterior stanchions.

' R. E. McMJLLAN.

